Attendance at the seventh-annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine has grown from 4,000 the first year, to more than 8,000, and it's now one of the largest culinary events in the U.S.

This week, Gov. Jerry Brown sent a commemorative letter to the PBFW team cheering the four-day event as an "economic driver and tourist attraction for the state of California."

Many who fly to California for the culinary event return for the surrounding attractions.

"Pebble Beach Food and Wine constantly causes great compression throughout our area, generating a lot of activity all over the place, before, during and after the event, and we hope people come back and visit," said Tammy Blount, director of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"It's something that celebrates what our area's all about: agriculture, wine, the amazing beauty we live in. But it also does great things to stimulate the economy," said David Bernahl, co-founder of Coastal Luxury Management.

Pebble Beach Food and Wine has contributed more than $50 million to the local economy in the past seven years, Blount said.

"Eight-thousand will be here attending event. That's huge. It's supporting 2,000 local jobs for that week, which for our economy is wonderful," Blount said.

"As an economic driver and a tourism attraction, Pebble Beach Food and Wine has provided both short and long term benefits for the state. I am sending my best wishes for a memorable event and future success," Gov. Brown said.

"To get that recognition has been very phenomenal. It gives us a lot of momentum to go on and create more jobs and opportunities for more people in our industry, and we feel fortunate," Bernahl said.

Bernahl said his team is already planning for next's year's event, which he looks to expand beyond food and wine to include "Ted Talks"-like programs that address issues such as food sustainability and hunger.